1. Field of the Invention
The apparatus of the present invention relates to wood cutting. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus which is mountable to the platform of a table saw which enables incremental adjustments to ensure a proper length of cut.
2. General Background
In the field of wood cutting, the wood is often cut to a particular length through the use of a table saw. In this manner, the blade of the table saw extends upward from the base of the saw, and a piece of wood is pushed across the blade in a controlled manner with an accessory called a miter fence, and the blade cuts through the wood. In order to insure that the wood is being cut to a proper length, a scrap of wood is clamped to the adjustable fence which is slidable along the base of the saw, so that when the fence is adjusted to a certain distance from the blade, the piece of wood is placed against the scrap that is clamped to the fence, and the cut is made for the measurement between the scrap and the blade. (The scrap being in such position that the wood being cut cannot be touching the scrap and the blade at the same time.) However, one of the shortcomings that is involved in this type of cutting is the fact that the adjustable fence can not be set carefully enough for some classes to work. Most metal working machine tools include adjustable stops. Some of the types of stops are simply screws with jamb nuts, and some of the stops include calibrated dials for direct setting of measurement. Micrometers are utilized to measure by feel rather than sight. But since wood cannot be cut as closely as metal, these same devices are not commonly found on wood cutting machines.